Leah Ingramhttp://www.leahingram.com
Writer Leah Ingram helps you feel good about your financesTue, 06 Dec 2016 20:32:21 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1http://www.leahingram.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cropped-Leah-Ingram-New-Headshot-with-Glasses-e1478544204712-32x32.jpgLeah Ingramhttp://www.leahingram.com
3232Review: Products with Lifetime Warrantyhttp://www.leahingram.com/products-with-lifetime-warranty/
http://www.leahingram.com/products-with-lifetime-warranty/#commentsSat, 03 Dec 2016 05:35:28 +0000http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/?p=9399Before you buy anything, I believe it’s important to keep in mind the notion of investing in products with a lifetime warranty or lifetime guarantee or some sort of policy where the company stands behind its products. Why? Because I believe in getting the biggest bang for your buck or the most value for your...

]]>Before you buy anything, I believe it’s important to keep in mind the notion of investing in products with a lifetime warranty or lifetime guarantee or some sort of policy where the company stands behind its products. Why? Because I believe in getting the biggest bang for your buck or the most value for your money–not always the cheapest price.

For example, take my allegiance to companies that offer a lifetime warranty on their products. Many of these companies have products with a price tag that might give a cheapskate pause. But I don’t just see the upfront price as being important–I see the long-term spending as being the real key. So if a company offers a lifetime warranty on an item, and I have to spend only once on something which the company might replace for free in the future, if necessary, then over the long run I’ve saved money.

I’ve written before about cashing in on lifetime guarantees and, frankly, many of my readers have given me grief about doing so. That’s fine–we can agree to disagree. But I stand by my belief that if a company is going to offer a lifetime warranty and honor that lifetime guarantee, then I’m going to use that warranty to my bottom line’s advantage. Plus, that lifetime warranty guarantees I’ll be a loyal customer forever.

Below is my review of three companies that offer a lifetime warranty. I’ve laid out the pros, cons, and my thoughts on the three companies with lifetime guarantees with which I’m most familiar–L.L. Bean, Lands’ End, and Jansport. The companies are listed alphabetically. Many of them are available internationally, include the U.K.

I wrote another article on a related topic for Good Housekeeping a few years ago and found another family who was able to replace busted zippers on a Jansport backpack for free. Interestingly, my first experience taking advantage of Jansport’s lifetime guarantee also involved a backpack’s broken zipper.

Pros

Jansport’s warranty is simple and straightforward:

JanSport engineers quality, durable, and reliable products. So, if your pack ever breaks down, simply return it to our warranty center. We’ll fix it or if we can’t we’ll replace it or refund it. We stand by our packs for a lifetime and since we’ve been making packs since 1967, that’s a guarantee you can stand by.

The company means it. When my daughter Annie’s Jansport backpack could no longer zip up, I simply went to the Jansport website, downloaded the form to fill out and send back with the pack, and sent it in.

On the plus side it didn’t take Jansport very long to acknowledge receipt of Annie’s broken backpack–I got an email a week later letting me know it had arrived. I never heard from Jansport again, until, almost a month to the day, Annie’s brand new backpack arrived on our doorstep.

REVIEW LANDS END’S LIFETIME WARRANTY

Here’s a short list from the Lands’ End website on what the company makes and sells: clothing for men, women, children; swimwear; outerwear; shoes; school uniforms; products for the home; luggage.

I became a Lands’ End customer when I started buying my daughters Lands’ End bathing suits. Of course, when you’re talking kids clothes, they usually outgrew their Lands’ End duds before I could take advantage of the Lands’ End guarantee. So it didn’t surprise me that when I did eventually need to take advantage of the lifetime warranty, it was for something I’d purchased for myself.

Pros

The Lands’ End guarantee has always been an unconditional one. It reads: “If you’re not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price.” We mean every word of it. Whatever. Whenever. Always. But to make sure this is perfectly clear, we’ve decided to simplify it further: Guaranteed. Period.®

It’s more than a return policy. It’s a promise we’ve kept for over 50 years now, to stand behind every product we make and every service we deliver.

Cons

Shipping the broken product back (albeit for free) isn’t the required first step when using Lands’ End’s guarantee–purchasing a new replacement product is. So when I wanted to replace a down vest with a missing snap, I needed to actually pay for the replacement. I had to call Lands’ End since this isn’t something you an easily do via the website. Then, I had to send the damaged vest back, and once Lands’ End received it, they would credit my payment. While the thought of having to spend upfront to get something that is guaranteed for free felt wrong, Lands’ End did as they promised, and credited my Discover card within days of my vest arriving at Lands’ End in Wisconsin. In the end I got a new down vest for free.

REVIEW L.L. BEAN’S LIFETIME WARRANTY

L.L. Bean also makes products for nearly every part of your life. In our house you’ll find the following from L.L. Bean–some purchased for ourselves, other received as gifts: flannel sheets, workout gear, outerwear, bathing suits, backpacks, shoes, lunchboxes and luggage.

When I first wrote on this blog about my taking advantage of L.L. Bean’s lifetime guarantee policy, many readers shared my point of view of supporting a company that is going to stand behind its products via a lifetime warranty. Others felt it was disingenuous and unscrupulous. However, I will stand behind my belief that the reason I have continued to wear an L.L. Bean winter coat is because, though pricey upfront, I knew that L.L. Bean would stand behind its products no matter what.

Pros

Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory.

Even returning something via the guarantee is easy–on the returns pages of the website, all you need to do is fill out an exchange form, send the item back to L.L. Bean, and they will replace it no questions asked. Another option is to visit one of their stores–there are about 30 nationwide. I brought my busted L.L. Bean suitcase to the King of Prussia store in Pennsylvania (when I lived there) to get a replacement. Recently, I returned one of my husband’s L.L. Bean business shirts to the L.L. Bean store at the Freehold Raceway Mall in N.J.

Cons

You’ll need to pay to ship your item back to L.L. Bean if you can’t visit a store to take advantage of the lifetime warranty. At least with winter coats, styles seem to change often so exchanging a coat on warranty has never allowed me to get the same coat twice. Just this past winter I returned a coat from three years prior. Despite following the washing instructions to a tee, the coat would not come clean. L.L. Bean no longer made that style of coat, so the replacement I ended up choosing actually cost $30 more.

My bottom line is this: though I’ve presented some “cons” above, overall I support these companies 100 percent for standing behind their products. I will continue to be customers of L.L. Bean, Lands’ End, and Jansport, and reward them with my business because I believe in how they make and guarantee their goods.

OTHER COMPANIES THAT OFFER PRODUCT WARRANTIES

Here are other companies that offer similar lifetime guarantees or warranties. This is good information to have when thinking about spending your hard-earned cash on back-to-school shopping or, in the case of some of these non-clothing brands, Christmas presents, holiday gifts or home furnishing items for your house, condo or apartment. Note: Portions of this article originally appeared on Parade.com.

All Clad

This upscale cookware brand stands behind its product from the date of purchase, and promises to repair or replace any item found defective in material, construction, or workmanship under normal use and following care instructions. All-Clad even warrants its non-stick coating on pans with a lifetime guarantee.

Carhartt

Carhartt is a premium work-wear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged apparel for workers on and off the job. If you’ve ever worn a barn jacket in a real-life barn or on a farm, chances are it was a Carhartt jacket. While the company’s official website says they will not cover normal wear and tear on their clothing, plenty of people have reported that they have an unofficial lifetime warranty. So if in doubt, contact customer service and ask. It’s one of the reasons that those who work in construction, agriculture or just spend a lot of time outdoors swear by Carhartt and are lifelong customers.

Columbia Sportswear

Dr. Martens

When I was in college, Dr. Martens or Doc Martens as we called them, was a wardrobe staple. These shoes aren’t cheap but they last forever. However, if they don’t, you can take advantage of the Dr. Martens For Life warranty. There is a catch, though: you have to register for this lifetime guarantee within 60 days of your purchase, and this warranty applies only to the “For Life” products in its product line, such as the 1460 boots shown here.

Eddie Bauer

Eddie Bauer products are built to last, to be sure. No wonder my husband is still wearing two shirts he purchased from the company some 20 years ago. Even so, this is Eddie Bauer’s take on its lifetime warranty: “Eddie was one of the first retailers to offer an unconditional guarantee in writing-he was that confident and committed to the quality of his products. And after 50 years in business he said, ‘My greatest contribution to the consumer was our 100% unconditional lifetime guarantee. That guarantee was part of what I sold.’ Eddie’s philosophy guides us to this day. Every product we sell is designed to be the best and built to last. If anything you buy falls short of those standards, you’re invited to return it at any time. Every item we sell will give you complete satisfaction or you may return it for a full refund.” Eddie Bauer’s warranty crosses borders as it ships to more than 100 countries worldwide!

Fitbit

I had no idea that Fitbit had a guarantee program, until the clip for my Fitbit One (the kind you wear on your bra) broke. While doing a Google search about where to buy a replacement, I came across posts that mentioned Fitbit would replace the clip for free. I logged onto Fitbit’s website, opened a chat with a customer service representative, and within minutes my new Fitbit clip was on its way to me. It arrived a week later.

Hunter Douglas

If you’re giving the gift of window treatments—maybe you just bought a house—take note that Hunter Douglas supports its products with this lifetime warranty.

The North Face

For my teenage daughters, last year’s must-haves included jackets from The North Face, which both girls received. Thankfully, those North Face jackets came with a lifetime guarantee: “The North Face products are fully warranted to the original owner against defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the product. If a product ever fails due to a manufacturing defect, even after extended use, we will repair the product, without charge, or replace it, at our discretion.”

Target

Target stores recently introduced a new line of children’s clothing called Cat & Jack. There are two things that make this new Cat & Jack line unique. One, they clothing is designed to be gender neutral. And, two, the clothing line comes with a one-year guarantee. This is the first time I’m hearing of any guarantee at Target, so this is a big deal.

Touchfire

Touchfire makes keyboards that attach to iPads and offers a lifetime warranty. Not surprisingly, the company won’t replace a keyboard that you’ve spilled coffee on, but it did tell me that it sent a new keyboard after hearing from a customer whose baby bit and broke it.

Zappos

While Zappos.com doesn’t sell products under its own brand, I have found that it will stand behind them nonetheless. For example, I ordered cleats for my daughter to wear during field hockey season. Halfway through the season, the shoe split. Zappos replaced them for free when I called. When it happened again a few months later, Zappos sent another replacement pair and refunded our purchase price. I had the same experience with Ugg Australia boots that did not hold up as expected. Again, there is no official lifetime guarantee on the Zappos.com site, but I do know that Zappos offers some of the best customer service around!

]]>http://www.leahingram.com/products-with-lifetime-warranty/feed/57 Experience Gift Ideas To Buy Right Nowhttp://www.leahingram.com/7-experience-gift-ideas-buy-right-now/
http://www.leahingram.com/7-experience-gift-ideas-buy-right-now/#respondFri, 02 Dec 2016 17:17:55 +0000http://www.leahingram.com/?p=13404A few years ago my husband was looking for experience gift ideas for me and came up with a great one–a kit to test our dog’s DNA. Of the four dogs we’ve owned, all have been rescues. So even though we had veterinary records about their background, we never really knew what kind of dog...

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A few years ago my husband was looking for experience gift ideas for me and came up with a great one–a kit to test our dog’s DNA. Of the four dogs we’ve owned, all have been rescues. So even though we had veterinary records about their background, we never really knew what kind of dog they really were. That is, until we tested their DNA. He got me the Wisdom Panel dog DNA kit, and it was an awesome gift!

That experience gift may not have given me something to put on a shelf or display when friends came over, but it gave me something I could talk about forever. It was an experience. A memory. It was priceless.

Since then our family has focused on coming up with experience gift ideas. One year it was spa gift cards. Another year it was six months of food delivery. Hey, when you eat your gifts, you don’t have to worry about having stuff left behind. And cooking together is an experience unto itself.

Since then we’re always brainstorming ways to come up with new experience ideas we can enjoy. We do this for the holidays but also at different gift giving times during the year.

Last year we decided to test our own DNA through an Ancestry DNA kit as an experience gift to ourselves. This year our experience gift is to take everyone to a Broadway show on Christmas Day. Who knows what experience gift ideas we’ll come up with for the next year?

If you’re looking to buy presents for someone who doesn’t need any more “stuff,” I can help. I’ve put together seven experience gift ideas that you can easily buy online and have delivered to the gift recipient. Or you can buy it online, have it delivered to you, and then you can surprise that special someone with that gift.

These experience gift ideas are listed here in alphabetical order.

1. AncestryDNA

Right now Ancestry DNA has two deals going on for the holidays:* 10 percent off Ancestry DNA kits through 12/14/16* Free shipping on DNA kits when you use code FREESHIPDNA.
Now here’s why you’ll want to consider giving this experiential gift, one of my favorites to give and receive. I was so excited when I received an AncestryDNA kit. While I know a bit about my family’s history, I couldn’t wait to find out if there was more to my ancestry that I thought. The answer is “Yes” but more about that in a minute. Completing your AncestryDNA kit is super easy. First things first, you need to log onto Ancestry.com and register your kit. Then you need to, basically, spit into a little tube so you can send your saliva off for analysis. Shipping to do that is free. It takes a few weeks to get your results back, which appear on your Ancestry page. I was super surprised to find out that I’m 30 percent Irish. My husband, who is only a second generation Italian American, was surprised by his results as well. While mostly Italian, he had a big swath of Irish as well. This will make for quite the conversation at our next holiday gathering. And now we’re thinking we need to take a trip to Ireland.

3. Dia&Co

My older daughter loves her clothing subscription to Dia&Co. In case you’re not familiar with the company, Dia&Co is a body-positive shopping experience for women who wear sizes 14 and up. It provides personal styling in the comfort of their own home. Their stylists work with the best brands–from industry staples to up-and-coming young designers–to provide each customer with curated looks to suit their unique style and shape. For a real-size woman or girl in your life, signing her up for a subscription could be a gift that gives all year long. She can choose how often she receives her plus size styling in a Dia&Co box. For more about the experience, check out my review of Dia&Co after my daughter first started using the service. She’s since ordered two more boxes!

4. Fandango

Whenever my family and I go to the movies, we always buy our tickets in advance via the Fandango app on our smartphones. If you’re looking for a gift for a movie lover, I think a Fandango gift card is a great idea. Right now when you spend $75 or more on Fandango movie theater gift cards, you’ll get a free FandangoNOW movie rental for yourself. I love getting a free gift for me while buying gifts for others! Make sure you use code MOVIE4U.

5. Plated

Look at these yummy Buffalo chicken sliders you can make with Plated!Right now you can save $24 on the first Plated delivery if you order before 12/30/16.
Plated delivers chef-designed recipes and seasonal ingredients to your door each week for a more sustainable, personalized, and easier way to cook more and live better. By spending time in the kitchen, you’ll experience a sense of discovery, creativity, and connection that you can only find when you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Best of all with a Plated gift you won’t have to shop for your ingredients–they come right to you. If you’ve got someone on your gift list who loves to cook, this would be a great experiential gift. You might even want to give yourself this gift, too!

6. SeatGeek

I mentioned that this year our experiential gift is taking everyone to see a Broadway show on Christmas day. If you have family members who like seeing Broadway shows, or getting tickets to sports events or concerts, you should check out SeatGeek.com. They have millions of tickets, all in one place, for tons of cities across the country. SeatGeek enables fans to quickly and easily discover the best deals for sports, concert, and theatre events. When I was on the site, I saw tickets to NHL game, NCAA college games, Adele concerts and more. I’ve already told my husband that I want to go see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden in 2017. I’m definitely going to be pointing him towards SeatGeek.com to get tickets.

7. Spafinder

Here’s how you can save on a Spafinder gift card right now: use code ENT001 when you purchase a Spafinder gift card, and you’ll save 10% when you spend $100.I have to give props to my mother, who has been giving me Spafinder gift cards for years. What I love about Spafinder gift cards is that I’m not limited to one spa where I can cash them in for the pampering of my choosing. So even though my mother lives in Maine and I live in New Jersey, she can feel confident that I can find a place near to me for a massage, facial or another kind of pampering service. In fact, Spafinder has 20,000+ partners. This is also a great gift to give your significant other so you can book a couples’ massage together.

Final thoughts on experience gift ideas

In conclusion, here’s what I love about experience gifts. They aren’t just limited to Christmas and Chanukah or the holidays season. You can give these kinds of gifts for an anniversary, a birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or even a high school or college graduation. Frankly, you can give an experience gift for any other celebration that occurs during the year. So while this post is first appearing in December, it really is relevant all year long.

]]>http://www.leahingram.com/7-experience-gift-ideas-buy-right-now/feed/0Holiday Tipping Etiquettehttp://www.leahingram.com/holiday-tipping-etiquette/
http://www.leahingram.com/holiday-tipping-etiquette/#commentsMon, 28 Nov 2016 05:00:25 +0000http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/?p=8575It’s almost December, which means it is that time of year–to hand out holiday tips. If you’ve been wondering how much do I tip at the holidays, don’t stress: I’ve put together an easy-to-understand list of holiday tipping etiquette based on the most common people you’re likely to tip at the holidays. Hope this helps...

]]>It’s almost December, which means it is that time of year–to hand out holiday tips.

If you’ve been wondering how much do I tip at the holidays, don’t stress: I’ve put together an easy-to-understand list of holiday tipping etiquette based on the most common people you’re likely to tip at the holidays.

Hope this helps you figure out which people to tip this year and how much to give.

Mail carrier/UPS driver/FedEx delivery person: $10 to $20

Newspaper carrier: $10 to $20 (they’re not supposed to accept gifts over $20, I believe.)